How to clean when someone in the house is sick

July 07, 2024

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The fall virus season is upon us. Do you have your cleaning gear ready?

Most of the time, obsessive house cleaning to avoid viruses isn’t necessary or particularly useful — during the pandemic the meaningless cleaning of surfaces, groceries and even the mail was dubbed “hygiene theater.”

But the rules on cleaning change when someone in the house becomes ill. Strategic cleaning of contaminated surfaces, particularly bathrooms, and being mindful of where germs lurk (high-touch surfaces, bedding and dirty tissues!) can help uninfected members of the house stay that way.

I learned this the hard way when I had a terrible bout of norovirus after traveling several years ago. I sent my daughter to a friend’s for seven days so she wouldn’t get it. But just one day after she returned home — days after I had recovered — she became very ill. I learned then that norovirus is a hardy microbe that can live on surfaces for up to a month. I had cleaned, but not with bleach and apparently not thoroughly enough.

There are a lot of viruses circulating right now — common cold viruses, influenza viruses, the coronavirus and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has guidance for cleaning when someone in the house is sick. Here are some of the ways you can clean smarter.

Clean before disinfecting. Yes, you do have to clean twice. Remove dirt and debris first, then use a disinfectant. The reason: Your germ killer won’t work if it doesn’t reach the germs. Germs can hide in a layer of dirt or grime, and a quick wipe with a disinfectant cloth or spray won’t be enough to get rid of them.

Leave the cleaner on for longer than you think. Read the label on your cleaner to find out the “contact time.” It may be as short as 30 seconds or as long as several minutes. The contact time can vary even within the same brand name. Lysol disinfectant spray needs three minutes of contact time to disinfect, while Lysol wipes scented with mango and hibiscus require four minutes. Lysol Power Foam bathroom cleaner needs 10 minutes. If you’re using a wipe, the contact time doesn’t mean you keep wiping the area for three or four minutes. It means using a fresh wipe with enough liquid that the surface stays wet for the designated amount of time before it evaporates.

Note that sanitizing and disinfecting aren’t the same. A product that claims to “sanitize” kills bacteria but not certain viruses. A disinfectant will list on the label which bacteria and viruses it inactivates or destroys.

Clean strategically. The CDC recommends regular cleaning of high-touch surfaces such as light switches, doorknobs, counter and table tops, remote controls and refrigerator handles.

Use care when doing laundry. The laundry of a sick person may contain bodily fluids or viral particles that could still infect another person. The CDC recommends wearing a mask and gloves when stripping bedding after an illness. Don’t shake laundry or bed clothes — that can disperse viral particles. Once the item is in the washing machine, it’s fine to mix in other laundry. When my daughter had covid, I just left the sheets alone for three days, and then laundered them.

Clean the bathroom last. Bathrooms should get special attention when someone in the house is sick. Cleaning it last helps prevent spreading these germs around the house. Give the sick person their own bathroom if you can. Focus on doorknobs, toilet flushers, faucet handles, etc. After someone vomits or has diarrhea, wear disposable gloves and clean with paper towels to be thrown away. Disinfect with a bleach-based cleaner, and leave it on the area for at least five minutes or longer if the label advises. Remove trash from the house and wash your hands vigorously.

Wash your hands, and don’t touch your face. It’s simple and effective guidance, and particularly important when someone in your home is ill.

The Home You Own team can help you clean

Here are more resources to help you improve your fall cleaning routine from our experts at The Home You Own.

Bleach isn’t so scary — if you know how to use it correctly: Wonder product or chemical hazard? We asked experts for the truth about the versatile disinfectant.

You’re probably not cleaning these 11 very germy spots: These often-overlooked places in your home can be hotbeds of germs, mold, yeast and pathogens. But once you know about them, cleaning them is easy.

Yes, you need to clean your toilet brush: Not cleaning your cleaning implements can negate all the time you took to clean.

The right way to clean and disinfect household surfaces: By this point in the pandemic, most of us know how to properly wash our hands, but we may be less clear about how to sanitize the various surfaces in our home.

The essential cleaning tools every home needs: Experts say these tools are sufficient for maintaining a clean home.

More reasons to eat more fiber

The composition of a person’s gut microbiome — which consists of trillions of bacteria and other microbes — appears to influence whether a groundbreaking cancer treatment called immunotherapy is successful in some patients. Scientists have found that patients who harbor certain gut bacteria have better responses to immunotherapy than patients who lack them.

Even more stunning: Scientists believe that giving patients a fiber-rich diet of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains to nourish the microbiome might improve the odds that the cancer treatment is effective.

A clinical trial testing the theory is underway at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, the largest cancer center in the United States. Read more:

Eating Lab: Eating fiber alters the microbiome. It may boost cancer treatment, too.

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Please let us know how we are doing. Email Tara at wellbeing@washpost.com.

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